Banishing Evil
by Shadow of Mars
Summary: When people start disappearing, Detective Raye Hino is partnered up with Detective Yaten Kou to figure out what is going on. Will they be able to track down the kidnapper and save the victims?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or any of the characters used in this stories.

* * *

Banishing Evil

"Hino, may I see you in my office," the chief said through the phone.

"Be right there," Raye replied. Then the connection was cut. 'I wonder what it is this time' she thought.

Raye got up from her desk and walked towards his office. Upon entering, her boss looked up from a file.

"Please, have a seat," he said.

Raye did and watched him intently. He ran his eyes over the information contained in the folder and sighed. It took him a few minutes before he spoke again.

"There has been a kidnapping. It happened two days ago in a parking garage on Main Street. The victim, Andrew Foreman, was last seen in a business meeting at Foreman Corporation. The rest of the information is in the folder," he said while handing her the file, "I'm assigning you to this case. You're one of the best detectives here."

"Don't worry, I'll do my best," Raye said, excited to be assigned this case. This could be her big promotion.

"Oh, and one more thing before you leave. I'm assigning you a partner," the chief said while motioning to the door. Raye could feel the excitement suddenly vanish.

She turned around in her chair. A man with long, silver hair tied in a ponytail walked in. He wore an expression that clearly said 'I am the best detective here and I know it', which really bothered Raye. He also had light, green eyes that caught her attention. Running his hand through his bangs, he quickly glanced at Raye. Then, he focused on the chief.

"Ms. Hino, may I introduce Yaten Kou. He will be you new partner," my boss concluded, "Oh, and don't screw up this time. You both may leave."

Raye got up and left, with her new partner following her quietly. She didn't need a partner. She was capable on her own. She briskly walked back to her desk. Sitting down, she started leafing through the papers in the file, briefly looking at the contents on each sheet.

"Screw up again?" Yaten questioned with an eyebrow raised.

"That is none of your business," Raye sharply said without looking up.

" What are you doing?" Yaten asked.

"I am looking at the information for anything unusual," Raye answered, starting to get annoyed with his questions. She noticed her new "partner" rolling his eyes.

"Shouldn't we visit where the victim was last seen and ask some questions first?" Yaten sneered.

"You can. I'm staying here," Raye said, not even looking up. From her peripheral vision, she watched him sashay off. She sighed._ 'This is going to be fun'_ Raye thought before focusing on the file again.

* * *

After a few hours, Yaten returned to the department with a defeated look on his face.

Walking to his desk, he flopped in his rolling chair. His eyes stared blankly at the lit-up computer screen, with his head propped up on his hand. What a day! First, he gets a mean partner. Then, he had to talk to complete strangers. It was very tiring.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his partner typing something into the computer, with her eyes glued to the screen in front of her. He inwardly cringed at the thought of working with her. Then his thoughts went back to their conversation earlier today. She was so cold and hostile towards him. It felt as if she thought that she was superior to him. Like she was the queen of this department and everyone else was her servant. Yaten scoffed. He wasn't anybody's servant.

Suddenly realizing that he was staring at her, Yaten quickly turned to his notes that he wrote today. They weren't very useful. Everyone he interviewed at Foreman Corporation said basically the same thing. They all thought he was a good boss, and they couldn't imagine who would've done this to him.

There were a few individuals, however, who showed no concern about his disappearance. But, of course, they had airtight alibis, so they obviously couldn't have kidnapped the victim. No progress at all. Maybe his sour partner found something, just sitting there all day.

Casually, Yaten walked over to Raye's desk. She just continued staring at the screen as she typed. Perhaps she did find something. Yaten cleared his throat, finally gaining Raye's attention.

"Find anything?" Yaten inquired.

"No. He has no criminal record, no tremendous debts, not anything. What about you?" Raye said.

"Nothing. Everyone thought he was a good boss, except for a few who showed no concern for him at all. But they all had airtight alibis, I checked." Yaten answered. He noticed hope flicker in her eyes when he mentioned the unemotional employees. But with the alibis, they weren't suspects.

"So, we are back to square one," she muttered, while laying her head on her desk.

"What are you doing now?" Yaten asked, with annoyance clear in his voice.

"I am resting. My head hurts from searching for at least something all day," Raye answered, raising her voice a little bit.

"We have no time to rest! There is a kidnapper on the loose, and he could strike again!" Yaten yelled. People around them started staring at them. Clearly, they were alarmed at him shouting.

"I know! But I won't be able to think if I don't give my brain a break! How will I be able to catch the kidnapper if I can't think?!" Raye screamed back at him. Noticing the people staring, Raye glared at them. They all quickly turned away, focusing on their work. Everyone was hoping that Raye wouldn't start yelling at them too.

Aggravated, Raye got up and started walking away.

"Where are you going?!" Yaten called after her, glaring at her even though she didn't look at him.

"I am going home. I now have a throbbing headache," Raye shouted back without turning around.

_'Who does she think she is? What kind of detective just leaves because of a headache?'_ Yaten thought, while storming back to his desk. He would find a lead, and solve this case on his own. Even if it meant staying at work the whole night. And that is exactly what he did.

* * *

Hello!

This is my first fanfiction ever so please review!

Thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

Banishing Evil

(Chapter 2)

The next morning, Raye returned to the department, headache free with new determination to solve the case. There was a certain feeling in her gut that today was going to be a great day. She felt fresh and clean and was in a pretty good mood. The sun was rising steadily in the sky, slowly waking the world.

When she walked inside, she saw Yaten with his head resting on his desk. Clearly he spent the night here because his hair was a big mess. The same goes for his desk. Papers were scrambled all over the place. The cup that contained his pencils and pens was tipped over, with its contents spread out on his desk and the floor. Numerous drawers were left open and there was an empty coffee mug laying on its side near the edge, threatening to fall off and shatter into a million pieces.

Raye frowned with disdain at all the clutter. She was not a big fan of sloppiness. Then a thought crossed her mind. Maybe if the chief saw him sleeping on the job, she wouldn't have to work with him anymore. She knew it was really cruel, but she didn't like having partners. They either always got in the way, or were too slow.

Trying not to wake him up, she tiptoed over to her desk and turned on her computer. However, when Yaten started snoring, she nearly threw something at him to stop the annoying sound. But the thought of working solo was just too great to give up. So she just tried to ignore it and focus on work. It took Yaten about 23 minutes before he finally lifted his head from his desk, even if he wasn't fully awake. Curse the sunlight for shining directly on his face. Although, it was comical to see him dazed and confused, with a piece of paper sticking to the side of his face. And now he stopped snoring. Raye watched him with an amused expression as he cautiously looked around.

"Where am I? What time is it?" he asked, slightly slurring his words. His green eyes were blinking sleepily, and his mouth stretched open in a yawn. The suit he wore was crumpled from sleeping in it and there were bags under his eyes.

"The police department, and 9:57 A.M." Raye answered, trying not to laugh at his blank facial expression. He really was completely clueless.

Turning back to her work, she started flipping through the papers in the folder for what seemed like the billionth time. After 2 hours of searching through the contents, she dropped the papers on her desk. Raye leaned back in her chair, exhaling sharply. She was so frustrated! She would never solve this case.

"Find anything yet?" Yaten suddenly asked, causing Raye to jump.

"Did you have to creep up on me like that?" Raye demanded. She noted the way his hair was thoroughly brushed, unlike earlier today. The smell of coffee drifted to Raye's nose from his steaming coffee mug.

"Are you going to answer my question? It would be very rude of you if you didn't," Yaten retorted.

"No," Raye said, "I even dug deeper and checked his email account, but there are no threatening emails whatsoever."

"What about cellphone records?" Yaten suggested.

"I don't know. I didn't think of that," Raye admitted with a frown twisting her lips. She could've sworn that a smirk crossed his face as soon as she confessed that she made a mistake. And boy, was it a big one.

"Okay. Does the file say what phone company he had?" He asked, trying to control his joy about thinking about something before she did.

Raye quickly started shuffling through the papers on her desk, as Yaten rolled his eyes and started tapping his foot as she searched. Raye shot a glare at him, aware of his impatience.

"No," she informed him, after finding the right paper.

"What is his name again?" He said.

"Andrew Foreman."

"Alright then," Yaten murmured.

He promptly walked back to his desk. Picking up the phone, he started calling all of the local phone companies, informing them that they were speaking to a detective. After 15 minutes and numerous calls, he finally found the phone company that Andrew had. Not only were they able to fax him the document of recent calls, but they also sent him the current location of the phone. _'Thank you GPS'_ Yaten thought as he heard the fax machine beep.

Slamming the phone down, Yaten ran to the fax machine and picked up the piece of paper that could very well wrap up this case and find the victim. He briefly searched the document for the address, then jogged back to Raye, pointing to the address.

"There. The victim is in the abandoned warehouse on Boulevard," Yaten shouted, as he ran for the door.

Raye quickly followed behind him, with discouragement written all over her face. She felt so stupid for not thinking of the phone records. Her promotion was all but lost to her prideful parter. All because she was too ignorant to think of phone records.

* * *

During the car ride to the warehouse, Raye didn't even have to look at him to know that he carelessly wore a cocky grin. Obviously, he was proud of himself. Who wouldn't have been proud of themselves? He solved this case in a matter of 2 days. It probably would've taken her weeks to find the victim. Possibly even longer.

As they neared their destination, Yaten called for back-up. If the victim was here and still alive, then so would the kidnapper. Most likely, the kidnapper was armed. Even more likely, he wouldn't listen to a couple of detectives. But maybe he would listen to a couple of detectives and a bunch of cops, all with guns pointing at him.

Slamming on the brakes, he abruptly pulled over outside the old, neglected building. The unpleasant car ride was finally over, but that didn't stop Raye's stomach from churning. _'Either all the excitement went to his head, or he's just a really bad driver'_ Raye thought as she stumbled out of the car. Everything was spinning awfully fast, and her legs could barely walk in a straight line. The whole drive, he was dangerously speeding. He didn't even slow down for a turn. Not once. Every time he did turn onto a different street, Raye was sure that the car would tip over. And slamming on the brakes caused the seatbelt to choke her. 'Yeah, he's just a bad driver' Raye concluded as she leaned against the car for support.

After a few moments, her head stopped spinning and her stomach had calmed down. Yaten had already entered the building to look around. Raye hurried inside the run down warehouse. Sunlight slipped through holes in the ceiling. Crates were left out to catch dust as it fell to the ground. The plaster was peeling from the walls, and various windows were broken. Abandoned was the perfect term for this place.

They both split up, guns drawn. They couldn't take any chances now. This was a perfect place to hide someone. There were numerous crooks and crannies. There might even be secret passages that they might be hiding in. Possibly a fake wall that opened up into a secret room. The possibilities were endless.

Raye opened a door, and quickly raised her gun. Cautiously walking into the room, Raye looked around. No sign of anyone. The room was pretty small. Plus, there was no other exit. If someone did find them, the kidnapper would have no way to escape. There was no way that he would pick this room.

Just as she was about to turn around, the door slammed shut behind her. Unfortunately, there were no holes in the ceiling, leaving the room pitch black. Raye's heart started pounding against her ribs. Her stomach tied into a knot and she started trembling. There was definitely something creepy going on this place.

Swallowing, she tried to stay calm. It was probably just the wind. After all, there were many holes that could've let the wind inside. Yes, it was just the wind. There was nothing to be worried about. Raye tried to laugh her fear away. 'I can't believe that I was scared of wind' she thought, still laughing, until something furry brushed against her leg.

Raye gasped._ 'That was not the wind'_ she thought as she tried to keep from trembling. A strange flapping noise reached her ears as it came closer. She ran for where she thought the door was, and tried in vain to find the doorknob. But there was no doorknob. The door was gone. The eerie sound kept coming closer. Closer and closer, until it was directly behind her.

Desperately, Raye began pounding her fists on the wall in front of her. She started screaming for help, hoping that somebody could hear her. Suddenly, the creature flew straight into her hair. Beating it wings, it screeched directly into her ear. Raye began screaming even louder, terror gripping her heart. Her knees were starting growing weak. Finally someone opened the door.

The person rushed to Raye, swatting the creature away from her. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw Yaten smirking at her. Raye instantly glared at him. That was a terrifying experience that she went through, and here he was inwardly laughing at her.

"You're scared of a poor, little bird?" Yaten asked with a chuckle, "Poor thing. It probably panicked when it realized that you shut the door, trapping it inside."

"I didn't shut the door. Something else did. And I'd love to see you go through everything I had to and stay completely calm," Raye retorted, still glaring at him, "Did you find anything?"

"The victim isn't here, but his phone is," Yaten explained, holding up a cracked blackberry phone.

"Are you sure that it's his phone?" Raye questioned.

"Yes. I checked the contacts list and behold, there was a Mrs. Foreman," he answered, "I think that we should ask her some questions. She might know something about her husband's disappearance."

He headed back to his car with his hands in his pockets with Raye quietly following him. She stared at her hands the entire car trip back, trying to forget the whole experience in the dark room while Yaten sped back to the police department. But waiting at the department was some unpleasant news.

"Ms. Hino, Mr. Kou, may I speak to you two in my office," the chief said as soon as they entered the building. They promptly entered his office and sat in the two chairs that were in front of his desk, waiting for him to speak. Whatever he wanted to talk to them about wasn't good because he sighed sadly before talking.

"There has been another kidnapping. This time it was a doctor. He was abducted while he was getting into his car a couple hours ago. A nurse called him in missing, saying that he was needed for an important operation. Now, you need two to go and find something substantial. I cannot stress enough how important it is that you find whoever is doing this. Dismissed," the chief hastily told them, handing Yaten a file.

Glancing at each other, they rose from the chairs and exited the office. So there has been another kidnapping.

* * *

Hey!

I promise to work on chapter 3 as soon as possible. But in the meantime, please review! It will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Banishing Evil

(Chapter 3)

"Mrs. Foreman, I know that this might be difficult to talk about, but do you know anything about your husband's disappearance?" Raye asked, sitting on a forest green couch while looking around. Their house was very prestigious. As soon as you walked through the door, you found yourself standing under a crystal chandelier. There were glass vases on every table and bookshelf, each holding fragrant flowers of a different species. High-priced china hid behind spotless glass cabinet doors. Green seemed to be the favorite color, as most things in the house was some shade of green.

"No. He always tried to be very kind and helpful to everyone. I can't imagine anyone hating him," she replied, eyes downcast. She had brown hair that was tied back into a ponytail. Her green eyes were filled with worry and tears.

"Well, someone had to hate him, or he wouldn't be missing," Yaten's voice carried in from the hallway. Hearing what he said, Mrs. Foreman sobbed, with tears overflowing from her eyes, leaving trails down her face.

"I apologize for my partner's lack of sensitivity for other people's feelings," Raye said, throwing a glare in his direction, even though he couldn't see her.

"No, he's right. Somebody clearly hates him," the wife said, following her statement by loudly blowing her nose.

"Did he seem uneasy, like someone or something was bothering him at all?" Raye asked.

"He was upset lately. But it wasn't because of someone bothering him. The corporation lost a lot of money, so he had to start letting people go. He was distraught; all of his employees were hard-working and no one deserved it. And now he is missing." After that, the wife began sobbing uncontrollably.

Raye got up from the couch, understanding that she shouldn't push the topic any further. Who could blame the poor woman? She had to endure everyday with the pain of not knowing if her husband was still alive or not.

"Thank you for your time. We are doing everything we can to find your husband," Raye assured her, while walking towards the door. Yaten understood that it was time to leave, and waited by the front door for his partner.

"Hey, can I drive this time?" Raye asked, using her most charming smile. She had to try to avoid the nauseousness that awaited her if he drove.

"Nope. This is my car and you would wreck it," he retaliated, while hopping into the driver's seat. At his response, her smile turned into a pout.

Raye sighed while flopping into the passenger._ 'If anyone was going to wreck this car, it would be him'_ she thought while buckling her seatbelt. Their next stop was the hospital that the second victim worked at.

* * *

When Yaten finally stopped the car, Raye practically flew out of the car. This time, the turns were sharper and everything spun faster. He drove so fast, that he could probably travel through time. Raye couldn't even walk; she just fell in a heap on the ground next to the car. Thankfully, a nurse came rushing to her aid.

"Miss, are you okay?" she asked, worry evident in her voice. All Raye could do was groan in dizziness. Without another word, the nurse got a doctor who carried Raye to a chair while the nurse fetched a cup of water. After a while, Raye could actually see objects instead of blurs and the water helped her stomach. It was a good thing that they stopped at a hospital.

"You are such a drama queen. My driving is not THAT bad," an annoyed voice echoed through the hall. Raye turned her head to see Yaten leaning against a wall with his arms folded across his chest.

"I am not a drama queen. And your driving is not bad, it's absolutely appalling," Raye openly stated. She heard her partner scoff at what she said. Why is he so prideful as to not see how bad his driving is?

"How are you feeling?" he asked after an awkward silence.

"Better."

Then a nurse walked into the hallway, stopping in front of them both. She wore an almost-blinding white lab coat with a stethoscope around her neck. Her hair was neatly tucked behind her ears, and in her hands she held a clipboard.

"You wanted to ask me some questions?" She politely asked.

"Yes, do you know where the doctor was going to when he was abducted?" Yaten asked, while brushing his bangs away from his eyes.

"Not exactly. His phone rang a few minutes before the operation. He was going to treat a seven year-old girl who had lung cancer. The operation would help prolong her life at least a little longer. Hopefully long enough for a doctor who is specially trained in treating cancer to completely cure her. Anyway, after the call he went outside. That's all," she said.

"Did he seem troubled after the call?" Raye inquired.

"I think he was a little upset. I can't be sure."

"Do you know who called him?" Yaten chimed in.

"No," the nurse replied.

"Okay, well thank you for your valuable time. I'm sure you have other patients to take care of," Raye concluded while rising from her chair.

"Please find him. That little girl doesn't deserve to die," the nurse pleaded with concern filling her eyes.

"We will do our best."

Back outside, Yaten started the car while Raye cautiously looked at the car. 'I don't think I could take much more of his awful driving' she thought as she stared at him. Her stomach started spinning just imagining what the ride would be like.

"Look, I will try not to drive as fast as usual, princess," Yaten said, putting on his sunglasses. Raye clenched her hands into fists, but quickly relaxed. She decided to let the insult go.

"Alright pony boy," Raye retorted, earning a glare from her partner, "But call me princess one more time and I'll give you a speeding ticket."

"Your wish is my command," Yaten sarcastically stated. 'Your Majesty' he added in his mind. And off he drove, aware of what the speed limit was and following it. He sighed loudly, showing his disapproval.

_'Oh my gosh, this is so slow'_ Yaten thought while driving 45 miles per hour. He was pressed up against the steering wheel, just itching to slam his foot on the gas pedal and watch the world fly by.

"I think a snail just passed me," he said. "A dead snail." All he got in reply was a snort.

"Geez, I'm just trying to lighten mood. You could at least smile," Yaten voiced his thoughts, glancing at her.

Awkward silence filled the car. Raye just stared out of the window, her eyes blankly watching the world. Her thoughts were desperately trying to find a clue that she hadn't noticed before. Was there a connection between the two crimes? Was it committed by the same person? If so, who would've done this? What made him hate the guys so much that he would kidnap them?

She leaned her head against the window. This was probably her most difficult case yet. In her gut, something told her that she was missing something, something important. There just had to be a connection between the two victims which she had to find. There just had to be an obvious clue somewhere that could lead her to the victims.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just tired."

"Not having nightmares of birds, I hope."

"Yaten!"

"Just kidding."

"I never was scared of birds," Raye exasperated.

"I know." At this, Raye rolled her eyes. She returned her gaze to the window, her eyes following buildings as they passed. People walked on sidewalks, paying no mind to her. Strange to think that bad things can happen in this world while watching a child smile carelessly, a red balloon in one hand with an ice cream cone in the other.

The sun shone brighter now, with no buildings to protect Raye from its blinding light. She closed her eyes, resting her head on the window once more. Drowsiness captured her mind with the heat from the sun on her face. Soon she was in a deep sleep, letting go of her frustration with this case.

Yaten glanced over at her. How peaceful she looked. Yaten chuckled. It seemed that all she like to do was argue and have her way. Peace was far from her personality. Maybe that is what makes her a good detective.

After what was an eternity to Yaten driving slow, the department came into view. Yaten parked the car, got out of the car, and walked into the building. He had completely forgotten about Raye, who was still fast asleep in his car. When she did wake up, the sun was setting. The sky was a lovely shade of pink, mixed with orange and purple. Raye thought about yelling at Yaten for not waking her up, but she was still really tired. She slid into her own car, and started driving home. Right now she wanted to curl up in her own bed.

Strangely, it wasn't another 10 minutes before the sky was pitch black. Raye was sitting at an intersection, waiting for the light to turn green. Her phone vibrated, letting her know that someone was calling her. With one hand, Raye rifled through her purse, keeping an eye on the light. When she finally found the phone, the light changed from red to green. Driving forward, she lifted the phone from her purse only to drop it into the foot well of the passenger seat.

Quickly, she leaned over, reaching for the phone. As soon as she did, gunshots were fired, shattered glass flying through Raye's car. She kept her head down, but before she could slam on the brakes, she crashed into another car. Raye's head whipped forward, banging into the steering wheel a split second before they deployed. Everything went blurry, as her consciousness slipped away. The sounds of people shouting sounded distant, like at the end of a tunnel. Then everything faded from her vision, drowning her in an empty darkness.

* * *

Hello!

Well, here is chapter 3. I will work on chapter 4 very soon. Please review, tell me what you think!

Thank you!


	4. Chapter 4

Banishing Evil

(Chapter 4)

_Beep. Beep. _

Over and over, the sound penetrated her mind. The throbbing in her head pounded against her forehead. Oh, it hurt. Everything was dark, fear rising in her gut. It hurt to breathe. It was tempting just to stop, ending the pain. But she couldn't. She still had a life to live, a case to solve.

A voice. Deep and familiar. It was pulling her out of her unconscious state, calling her name over and over again. It was like walking out of a tunnel, after endless hours of searching. Light penetrated darkness, burning her eyes. Again, the voice repeating her name. Raye. Raye. Wake up, Raye.

A face was in front of her eyes. Could it be Yaten? No. The eyes were a dark brown. Not green. And his hair was brown to match his eyes. Not silver. Recognition refreshed her mind. Her boyfriend, Nicholas, had come to wake her from her deep sleep.

"Hey, sweetie. How do you feel?" He asked. As if it wasn't obvious.

"I feel like I was hit in the head with a bowling bowl and have a huge paper cut in my lungs," Raye replied in a bothered tone. Her boyfriend really could be pretty clueless. And now was one of the worst times for his stupidity.

She tried to turn her head to look around the room, but her neck was completely stiff. Enormous pain signals were sent to her brain, causing her to wince.

"Are you okay?" Nicholas asked, grabbing her hand. Again, one of his stupid questions. Raye was beginning to wonder why she even kept him around. But before she could reply, somebody else started talking.

"As okay as you can be after being in a car accident. You do the math," a snarky voice said. Raye immediately knew who spoke for her. He basically summed up what she was going to say.

"Yaten," mumbled Raye, a little smile playing on her lips. It seemed ironic to be glad that he was here, when she despised his every word. She instantly felt guilty seeing the hurt look in her boyfriend's eyes. Clearly he heard what she mumbled. He was upset that it wasn't his name.

"Yaten, will you please us alone?" Raye asked, trying not to make any eye contact.

"You can't boss me around," he declared, flicking his bangs away from his eyes.

"Please!" Raye yelled. Why was he so defiant?

"Fine. As you wish," he retorted, bending over in a mocking bow. Nicholas glared at him as he walked out of the hospital room.

Silence surrounded the two occupants in the room; the discomfort suffocating Raye. Nicholas uncomfortably stood next to the bed, eyes staring at the floor. His shoulders were tensed with his hands in the pockets on his navy blue jacket.

"So, um, how long have you been here?" She asked, attempting to distract her boyfriend from what had just happened.

"I came as soon as they called me," he answered. He didn't seem to notice how her face contorted in puzzlement.

"I-" she started saying before a doctor with 2 nurses behind him entered the room. The doctor was smiling at her, which really freaked her out.

"Well, I have some good news for you! Since you only have minor injuries, you will be able to leave as soon as 3 days. You just have a minor concussion, a few broken ribs, and whiplash. Nothing too serious. We just want to keep you around a little bit to make sure that your body is healing properly," he said, still smiling.

"Thank you doctor," Raye replied. The nurses walked towards her. One took the pillow from behind her head, and replaced it with a much softer one. The other nurse placed a cold washcloth on her forehead. Then everyone left, including Nicholas, who was sulking.

An aggravated sigh escaped from her lips. It was going to be very difficult to convince him that there was nothing between her and Yaten. And even then he might not believe her. He always just jumped to conclusions and stuck to them.

_Knock, knock_

In walked the cause of her problems. In his hands was a newspaper, with big words printed on the front. Approaching her, Yaten laid the newspaper on her lap, and looked at her expectantly.

Raye looked at the newspaper, which was flipped to the job advertising section. There was an ad for car washing job, a dog walking job, a banker job, and a fast food restaurant where help was desperately needed. Eyes widened in a panic, Raye stared at Yaten, hoping for an answer. When he gave none, she licked her lips in anxiety, her throat trying to produce a sound.

"Am I fired?" Her voice almost inaudible.

"What? No! Why would you ask that?" He asked, surprised at what she said. All she did was hold up the newspaper for him to see.

"Oh, no. You should look at the front cover. What you'll find is very interesting," he said.

On the front was, "Freak Accident Kills Teenagers," in big, bold letters. Below the title was the picture of a ball of metal near a railroad. Apparently, a group of teenagers were trying to show off by crossing right in front of a train. But it went terribly wrong, the train pushing the car miles from the impact area, crushing it into a ball. There was one survivor from the accident, but she later died in the hospital.

Raye's stomach flipped at the very thought of it. But she didn't see why he would show her this article. She looked at Yaten for enlightenment, and this time he understood what she was asking.

"Look at the list of doctors that treated the survivor," Yaten said, looking from her to the newspaper.

Sure enough, at the top was the name of their second victim. But she still didn't understand the point of all this. It definitely didn't help her feel better. Well, it did make her grateful that she did survive from her car crash, unlike the people in the article.

"I still don't get it," she admitted.

"Someone could've kidnapped the doctor as revenge for not saving their child or friend. C'mon, get with the program!" Yaten exasperated.

"Who was in the car accident again?" Raye taunted. All Yaten did was purse his lips.

"I can't leave the hospital, so you're going to have to follow this lead. And please try to be a little sensitive. They just lost someone important. Understand?" She asked him, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes, mother."

"Hey!"

Yaten hotfooted it out of the room. She was angry and he knew it. Outside the hospital, he took a moment to breathe. The phone call that his partner was in an accident nearly gave him a heart attack. 'But she has a boyfriend to take care of her' Yaten thought as he strode to his car.

* * *

The house was small and very old. The wooden porch in front of the house had some holes in it, and a porch swing that looked ready to collapse. There was a pile of bricks hidden in grass that probably hadn't been mowed in months. Shingles on the roof were missing, and there were unused swimming floaties leaning against the house.

Yaten slowly approached the run down house. The porch creaked beneath his feet, telling him that they could just barely support his weight. His hand raised to knock on the door, although it was a timid knock. _'What are you, a scared baby?'_ a voice in his head mocked him. He had hoped that Raye would be released from the hospital so that she could all of the talking.

The door cracked open, an eye peering through it. A shudder ran down Yaten's spine; he was thoroughly creeped out. The eye just kept staring into his eyes, almost into his soul.

"Who are you?" A raspy voice crawled from between the gap.

"Uh, I, I am D-Detective K-," he stammered, with part of his last name fading into silence.

"What do you want!?" the grating voice yelled at him, almost causing him to jump out of his skin.

"I, um, I want to ask you some, some questions about your daughter's death," he replied, courage gradually returning to his bones. It was another moment before the door groaned open. But there was no one behind it, just darkness. He must've stood there, staring for a long time, until he could finally move his feet.

"Hurry up! Or does your hair color actually match your age?" the voice jeered. Blood rose to his face in anger.

"I'll have you know that I am a well respected detective. And much younger than you!" Yaten yelled. Then Raye's words floated back to his mind. _And please be a little more sensitive._

He cooled his nerves, following her further into the house. Heavy curtains were forbidding any sunlight inside. Instead, candles lit the way, which made this place even more foreboding, if that was even possible. The old woman led him down a dark hallway._ 'In all the horror stories, doesn't a dark hallway mean that I will be murdered?'_ Yaten asked himself. He was beginning to regret coming by himself.

The woman stopped in front of a doorway, motioning him to go first. He swallowed, about to tell her that she should go first. But she roughly shoved him inside, shutting the door behind them.

At the center of the room was a table that held a crystal ball, clouded with a swirling mist. More light was in this room; the source was a dozen or so candles lining the room. Fabric covered in sparkling moons and stars hung from the ceiling, forming a tent.

The old woman sat behind the crystal ball, illuminating her face. Yaten had to bite his lip to prevent a scream from exiting his mouth. She stared coldly at him from her strangely cloudy gray eyes. _'She must've stared at her crystal ball too long'_ he thought, slightly smirking. She had frizzy black hair, tied down by a purple and dark blue scarf. Her outfit looked as if it were just thrown on in a hurry.

"Well, aren't you going to have a seat?" She sneered. Yaten flopped into the seat, trying to control his anger. He glared at her, straight into her eyes. Yaten shivered. Her eyes were glowing, reflecting the mystical light from the crystal ball.

"Do I have to come up with the questions, too?" She snapped, Yaten nearly jumping out of his seat. Her voice reminded of when someone scratched their nails on a chalkboard, which made his skin crawl. Now he could see that she had many teeth missing. The ones that still remained were brown and disgusting. She also had two moles, one on her cheek, the other resting on her top lip.

"Do you remember anything about your daughter's death?" He asked through gritted teeth. He would prefer for her not to speak.

"Yes, but she herself knows more." Then something unusual happened. She folded her arms, like a mummy. And her hair came undone, now floating around her once ugly face. Her eyes of stone turned to a deep blue, like a sapphire. And her grinding voice. It smoothed out, like the ocean calming down after a storm. She now had a full set of teeth, that were a sparkling white. The moles disappeared, her complexion now flawless.

"It was the day before a very important swim competition. My boyfriend wanted to take me to the beach to help me relax. He wanted to get there as soon as possible, thus him trying to beat the train. I told him that we should wait for it to pass, but he didn't listen. No, he just sped up. I started screaming at him, but it was like he was deaf. Then the train hit, and everything went black. I remained in that darkness for a while, standing by myself. It was cold lonely. I would've given anything to get out of it. Then a light shone in my face. Behind the light was me, laying unconscious in a hospital room. Doctors were yelling, nurses were panicking. But I just stared at myself, all twisted and bloody. I could feel my body grow weaker with every passing second. My heart ceased to beat, my lungs not breathing. A force blew me backwards, ripping me from my body. Now I lay in the ground, ahead of my time," She said, her eyes distant. Her tone turned melancholy as she described the moment that killed her. One moment. That was all it took.

"I am so sorry, but do you know of anyone who wanted to avenge your death?" Yaten asked, eyes locked on her face. It was like a spell, a spell that gripped his mind and heart.

"No. My friends miss me terribly, but they don't know vengeance. Neither does my mother. She believes that everything happens for a reason, whether we understand it or not."

Her eyes faded to gray, her melodic voice lost to the world. Her face disappeared, returning to heaven. The gypsy woman once more was herself, now asleep. Yaten rose from his chair, and left the house, as quiet as a ghost.

It was still light outside, puffy clouds making their way across the sky. His car sat in the grass, waiting for him. But after listening to the girl's story, he didn't feel like driving anywhere. So there he stood, staring at his vehicle, debating the chances he was taking just turning the car on.

He eventually did get into his car, driving away. Yaten really wanted to go see how his partner was doing, but one thing held him back. Her boyfriend.


	5. Chapter 5

Banishing Evil

(Chapter 5)

Finally, the day when Raye could be released from the hospital came. She was almost fully recovered, and she convinced the doctors that if she stayed, she would go mad! Though everyone declared that she stay in the hospital for at least another day, she simply refused.

Nicolas was standing in the hallway, ready to take her home. After a while, Nicolas acted like Yaten didn't even exist. It seemed like he actually forgot the whole thing. 'I wonder if he has memory loss' Raye thought. She had actually pondered on this theory. They had had many fights before and, in the end, Nicolas acted like they weren't even screaming at each other just a few seconds ago.

He extended his hand, reaching for her own. Hand in hand, they walked out of the hospital. Raye knew that she only have her boyfriend on her mind, but she couldn't help but think of Yaten. He looked a little bothered when she woke up in that room. Since then, he hasn't come to see her.

The entire time at the hospital, this case had been driving her insane. She couldn't block it out of her mind. It haunted her every night, waking her up from much needed sleep. It clouded her mind; she couldn't think straight. It was like a merry-go-round, jumbling up the clues. It made her so dizzy. Where was the escape? Of course. Finding whoever did this.

"How did the interview go?" She asked, standing next to Yaten's desk.

"Uh, fine. A little creepy though," he replied, glancing up at her.

"Did you get any useful information?"

"Well, she said that no one wanted to avenge her. That's about it."

"Oh."

With that, Raye went to her desk and flopped into her chair. She laid down her head, her mind searching for answers. There had to be something. A fingerprint, a shoe print, something.

_'Well, the first victim was kidnapped at the parking garage for some reason. The second victim was taken when he was getting into his car after getting a phone call.'_ Wait a second.

Her head shot up from its resting area. The phone call. They never found out who called him. Her hands clumsily searched through the papers on her desk, many flying to the floor. At the very bottom of the stack was the paper she needed. She snatched the phone, quickly punching in the numbers. From the corner of her eye, she saw Yaten staring at her. Raye flashed him a victorious smile, causing him to raise an eyebrow in question.

"Hello, this is Detective Hino. I need to pull some phone records."

"Are you really a detective?" The voice on the other line asked.

"Yes, I really am a detective," Raye answered, frowning.

"I'll need to see a badge before I release any information," he said.

"Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously."

"Alright, where do I go to show you my badge?"

"The Verizon store on 65th Street."

With that, Raye hung up. She got her purse and started walking towards the door. Before she could go outside, a hand grabbed her wrist.

"Where are you going?" Yaten asked.

"The Verizon store on 65th Street." Raye replied.

"Why?"

"Because the employee there doesn't think that I am a detective."

"Why do you have to prove that you are a detective?"

"So I can get the phone records of the doctor. We never found out who called him. Whoever it was somehow lured him outside and captured him."

"I'm going with you."

"Why?"

"Somebody obviously doesn't like us snooping around. I mean, you were almost killed. I don't want you going alone. Besides, who would save you if another bird attacked you?" He replied, a smug grin plastered on his face.

"Again with the bird thing! I am not scared of birds. I thought it was a bat or a ghost!" Raye said.

"So you believe in and are scared of ghosts?"

"Never mind!"

* * *

They pulled up to the Verizon store and as soon as they walked in, a bunch of employees crowded them, offering them deals on phones and phone plans. Raye tried telling them that they weren't here to shop, but that didn't go down well. The crazy workers started yelling at them, trying to convince them that they needed new phones. It wasn't until their manager came storming in, did they stop advertising. The two detectives were then taken to the manager's office in the back.

They were quickly given the phone records and were sent on their way back to the department. In the car, Raye started flipping through the phone records and found something useful.

"The phone call was made from a cell phone. It belongs to a Mr. Patterson. He lives at 1743 Ginger Street," she read.

Yaten sharply turned onto a different street. Trees flew past as they sped down the road. Everything was a big blur, and they would most likely miss the street they were searching for. After a few more turns, there were cruising through a quiet neighborhood.

Raye looked at the mailboxes, reading the address. 1739. 1741. 1743!

"There!" She yelled, pointing to the house.

Turning into the driveway, they got out of the car. Guns drawn, they approached the door. Raye knocked, hoping that whoever it was wouldn't run when they saw that it was the police. When no one answered, Yaten kicked the door open. They walked inside the house, checking every room.

"Found him!" Yaten called.

Raye quickly ran into the room, only to step back in disgust. Mr. Patterson was on the floor, lying in a pool of blood. A bloody letter opener lay next to him, and there was a message on the wall. _GIVE UP_ was written in the poor man's blood.

She clapped her hand over her mouth to prevent herself from vomiting. Murder grossed her out, which is why she stuck to kidnaps or thefts.

Raye quickly left room, leaving Yaten by himself. He took out his cell and called for a forensic team. He could tell that Raye was bothered by this. After the call, he was thinking about comforting her, but that was what her boyfriend was for. Not him.

Out in the hall, Raye leaned against the wall, trying to control her gagging. '_Breathe in, breathe out' _she told herself, '_Go to your happy place.' _

She turned her head slightly, seeing Yaten approach her. He stood next to her and remained quiet for a while.

He opened his mouth, trying to find the right words to say. When there were none, Yaten shut his mouth.

They stood side by side, letting the silence envelop them. Shadows were cast on the walls, forming shapes that looked like little monsters. There they stood, letting time pass, when it seemed like time stopped.

The sound of many footsteps echoed throughout the empty house. The forensic team was finally here.

Yellow tape surrounded the house, closing it off. Numbered markers were placed all around the room with the body. Men with cameras came in, taking pictures of almost everything, especially the writing on the wall.

"_Nooooooo_! Not my Will! Not my Will!" Someone screamed. When Raye and Yaten went outside, they saw a hysterical woman being restrained by two officers.

"Excuse me, do you know the victim?" Raye asked.

"Obviously, or she wouldn't be screaming," Yaten told her. She gave him a look of warning, then returned her attention to the woman.

"Yes, he was my husband," she answered. Yaten got out a notepad and starting taking notes.

"When was the last time you saw him?" Raye inquired.

"Uh, this morning. He was leaving for work."

"Where does he work?"

"He is an editor of a magazine. It helped people save money to help pay back debts or pay rent. It was becoming popular."

"Detectives!" A voice inside the house called.

"If you have further questions, you can call me on this number," Mrs. Patterson said, handing them her card.

Yaten gave Raye a look of suspicion as she took it, but said nothing. They went back into the house to talk with the forensic guys.

"Okay, estimated time of death is today, between 12:00 and 2:30. Cause of death is this single stab wound. It looks like it could've been made by this letter opener. No sign of struggle," a man reported.

"So he knew his attacker," Raye said.

"Yes, or he wasn't expecting it," the man said. "We'll be able to tell you more when we get the body to the morgue."

"Okay. Thanks," Raye replied, giving him a bright smile.

During the car ride back to the department, Raye remained silent. Now the culprit is willing to kill. Finding that body was a huge surprise. She had just assumed that whoever owned the phone was the kidnapper. That whoever was committing these crimes got sloppy and used his own cellphone. Obviously not, since the owner ended up dead.

"You're awfully quiet over there," Yaten commented.

"I'm thinking. You should try it," Raye replied.

"There is such a thing as over-thinking. And you have a bad case of it."

"If you don't think, you will never be able to catch bad guys."

"And if you over-think, you'll overlook the key piece of evidence and never catch the bad guys."

"Touché."

They remained silent for a few moments, each swallowed up in their own thoughts. Doubt gripped them, weighing them down with its ponderous chains.

"Do you think that we can catch the culprit?" Raye quietly asked.

"Yes."

* * *

Hey readers!

Thanks for reading!

Hope you like it! I am sorry for the delay. I have been really, really busy.

Please review, no matter what language you speak! I really want to know what you think!

Bye!


	6. Chapter 6

Banishing Evil

(Chapter 6)

"Don't you think that was at least a little weird how the victim's wife was so eager to help?" Yaten asked.

"She wants us to find out who killed her husband. Who wouldn't want to help?" Raye answered.

"Did you notice how she referred to her husband in the past tense?"

"Are you completely sure of that?"

"Yes! She said that he was her husband. I even wrote it down."

Raye just shook her head, pouring herself a fourth cup of coffee. Nightmares raced around her dreams the night before, filling her mind with terror. Images of blood and a cold, pale Mr. Patterson lying on the ground. Then she started seeing herself in pool of blood with her eyes empty, her soul missing.

She shuddered at the very thought, distracting Yaten from his rant of the wife's word choice.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah. I'm just really tired," she answered.

"Why?"

"I kept having nightmares."

The images flashed through her mind again. It was like an never ending cycle of haunting scenes.

"You know what? We should go interview the people at Mr. Patterson's work," Yaten said, drawing Raye out of her scary thoughts.

"Okay."

* * *

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Blake?" Raye asked a man in a tidy suit. His brown hair was slicked back, with a pencil tucked behind his ear.

"Yes. What do you want?" He snapped, causing Raye to flinch back.

"When was the last time you saw Mr. Patterson?" Yaten asked, pushing Raye behind him.

"Three days ago. Why?" He asked, although he didn't seem that much interested.

"He's dead. He was found yesterday, stabbed to death." Yaten said, looking for a hint of emotion or guilt in his eyes. But there was none.

"Oh, that's terrible. But we all die sometime," Mr. Blake said while shrugging his shoulders. Before he turned to walk away, Yaten said one last thing.

"What is your job, specifically?"

"I'm his best writer. I found lots of information that made his magazine sales skyrocket. But I guess now, I'm the boss," he said, a sly grin spreading across his face.

Raye watched him walk away, disgusted at his reaction. He didn't seem one bit upset that his boss was dead. And the way he grinned made her want to slap him across the face as hard as she possibly could.

"Did you say that Mr. Patterson was dead?" A woman asked Yaten.

"Yes."

At what he said, she threw herself at him, burying her face in his chest. She was bawling, her tears and snot running onto his shirt._ 'Oh that's disgusting!' _Yaten thought, looking towards the ceiling, trying to forget what was happening. He then looked at Raye standing next to him who simply watched as the woman cried her heart out.

"What do I do?" Yaten whispered.

"Comfort her," Raye whispered back.

He reluctantly put his arms around her, awkwardly patting her back. She finally calmed down and released her grip on Yaten, and sat down in a nearby chair. The woman smiled at him, wiping her nose on her sleeve.

"Thank you for comforting me," she said, her voice breaking.

"Were you close with Mr. Patterson?" Raye asked, sitting next to her.

"No, not at all. He is such a great boss though. Well, he _was _a great boss," she said wistfully, tears flowing from her eyes once more.

"What's your name?" Raye asked.

"I'm Margaret Campbell," she replied.

"What is your job here?"

"I'm a secretary."

"We are going to do everything we can to find who did this terrible crime," Raye said reassuringly, putting a comforting hand on the secretary's shoulder.

"Thank you," the crying woman said. Her head was tilted towards the ground with her hand covering her eyes, hiding her tears from her co-workers passing by.

The two detectives left the building, mulling over what had just happened. The new boss, Mr. Blake, was definitely suspicious. But the secretary's behavior was weird too.

"How could someone have a meltdown for a person that they hardly knew?" Raye thought aloud.

"I don't know. There might be something that she's not telling us," he answered.

"I agree. It doesn't make sense to bawl your eyes out over someone you weren't close with," Raye said, although doubt still remained in her heart about that. "Then again, she could've just had a huge crush on him. Since he was married, she just hid the feeling in her heart. I mean, does Margaret seem like the type of woman who would try to destroy another person's marriage?"

"Not really. I don't know her well enough to say for sure."

* * *

When they got back to the department, Mrs. Patterson was standing in the center of the room, looking lost. But as soon as her eyes rested on the detectives, her eyes instantly brightened. She waved at them anxiously, beckoning them over.

"Have you had any progress in my husband's murder?" She asked, hope shining in her brown eyes. Her blonde hair was frizzy and looked as if it hadn't been brushed in a while. Her black clothes were all wrinkled and her eyes were red accompanied by tear stained cheeks. _'Poor woman. She must be distraught about her husband's unfortunate death.' _Raye thought as she examined the widow's appearance.

"We do have a suspect," Raye said, hoping that would give a little comfort.

"Have you made an arrest?" Mrs. Patterson asked.

"No, because we don't have enough evidence to arrest him," Yaten said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Who is the suspect?" She demanded.

"That is confidential. But I do have one question for you. Where is Mr. Patterson's phone?" Yaten asked, noticing how her eyes widened a bit in surprise.

"Uhh, it was stolen. It probably was taken when my husband was murdered," she said, tears spilling from her eyes again.

With her shoulders slumped, she trudged out of the building.

"I don't like her," Yaten admitted, receiving a glare from his partner.

"Well, that's because you're an antisocial and you get along with nobody," Raye said, waltzing to her desk.

"I get along with you just fine," Yaten stated, following her.

"Do you really think that we get along?" Raye asked.

"We get along better than before," Yaten said.

"True."

They paused, seeing no need to speak at the moment. New thoughts formed in the silence. Questions flew around inside their heads. Questions that needed answers.

"So, what do you think about Mr. Blake?" Raye asked.

"I think he did it," Yaten said, as if it made perfect sense.

"Yaten! You can't just make accusations without any proof!" She exclaimed.

"Well you shouldn't have asked," he said, grinning.

"You should know that you can't accuse people like that. It's not nice," she scolded.

He just stared at her incredulously, wondering how things worked inside her head.

"Kou, I hope that you are actually doing real detective work, not just gawking at pretty girls," the chief said, walking past them.

A blush crept onto Yaten's face, becoming a deeper shade every second. He fixed his gaze on his shoes, very embarrassed.

"Well, I think we should look at Mr. Patterson's record, to see if he had any enemies," Raye said, typing on her computer.

"Um, yeah. Okay," he said.

"Well, nothing that really stands out," Raye said. "This is just another dead end."

"I don't know why I am saying this, but I think we should call Mrs. Patterson back in," Yaten said, grimacing.

* * *

"Do you know of anyone who might have a grudge against your husband?" Raye asked.

"Well, he used to have a gambling problem. He might have owed a few debts or something," the widow said, wiping tears from her eyes.

Raye pondered on this piece of information. _'People do care a lot about money. They would do anything for it,' s_he thought. It was certainly a motive. But the message on the wall still didn't fit in.

"That's strange, seeing as how he owns a magazine that helps people save money. It felt like he cared an awful lot about taking good care of money, not just wasting it on lottery tickets," Yaten commented, folding his arms across his chest.

"Well, that was what inspired him to start the magazine. He thought that it would help him with his gambling problem as well as other people's."

"Do you know Mr. Blake?" Yaten abruptly asked, watching Mrs. Patterson closely. Strangely enough, she acted like a stone statue.

"No."

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Well, that's all for now. You may leave," Yaten hastily said, pushing her towards the door. With the door shut, he leaned against it, running his hand through his silver hair. Raye flopped into a chair, propping her head up with her hand.

"What do you think of the gambling problem?" Raye asked.

"I don't think that was why somebody killed him. I feel like there is something that Mrs. Patterson isn't telling us," he replied.

* * *

Hey!

Sorry for taking so long. School has been very stressful and that is about to get a lot worse. Wish me luck in this mighty battle with all the tests! Anyway...

Thank you for reading! It helps knowing that there are people out there who read my story.

Special thanks to: _James Birdsong, Sol Bronte, syla04, and Luna Goddess of the Night Sky. _Your reviews have kept me going!

Let me know what you think!


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